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Comments
Re: No highs, no lows...
I think the Bose car audio systems have a better reputation than their home systems.
Best Regards,
Shipo
1. The lease on my e46 330i is up next May. It is definitely going back.
2. If the benefits of RWD are that obvious, why is the Mini, a car considered one of the best handling around...a FWD? I do love the thrust of a RWD car.
3. I'm about to take another job that's 45 miles to and from work (90 miles roundtrip). Even if I bought a 330i the car would be worthless in two years.And I can't see paying for a car again, yet only driving it 2-3 days a week.
4. I adore the feel of VW's turbo 4s...much more so than the feel of inline 6s.
I'd rather get something that is fun, powerful, light, nimble, can run at 90 mph all day long as if it were on a city street (or the autobahn), costs 25-26k, gets decent mileage, and has a comfortable interior.
The G35 is not a comfortable highway cruiser in my opinion. It's unrefined and gets lousy gas mileage. Having driven several, I must admit I don't like the 3.5 QV nearly as much as the old 3.0 VQ.
Lexus IS350 will undoubtedly cost over 35k and it only comes with an automatic. Plus it's heavy.
Mazda's 3 is exceptionally fun to drive but its interior and refinement aren't at levels I prefer. And the engine's way too weak for me to put up with daily. The Mazdaspeed3 is supposedly gonna be FWD only and I'd guess even harsher riding than the current car.
If the TSX had maybe 40 more hp and lost some weight it'd be an option.
Kinda at a loss. Audi's A3 offered a nice alternative but getting it with options I'd want pushes the price north of 30k and it's still way too heavy.
Judging by reviews and my experiences with past and current Audi/VWs, the GTI offers an interior on par (or better) than the e90. It gets 30 mpg. The DSG offers the best of all worlds as it's a true manual but it can go into a lazy mode should I ever grow weary of bumper-to-bumper on the way home. The car weighs less than 3k lbs and it's got nice, small dimensions. The 0-60 times and acceleration will probably be a little off my 330i's. but not by too much. And with a chip, who knows.
nothing against BMW, i just don't want to spend 40k on a new car and see it worth 20k after two years. :shades:
If ya notice reliability isn't a concern. I don't expect any german car to be reliable (they haven't been for me thus far).
didn't seem to be a problem in the A3. Don't expect it to be one in the GTI. i've read the euro rags and nobody brings that up. :confuse:
And a go cart handles better than a mini. The lighter and smaller the car is the more nimble it is. I like nimbleness, but I need practicality as well. I balance off handling, expense and space requirements. The TL is not generally praised for being the best handling sports sedan, could it be the combination of FWD and it's size?
I think related to FWD.
I as well do not like the sport seats. But I will only buy this car with the sport package. I have talked to the dealer and we are trying to figure out if i can swap the standard premium leather with lumbar seats in. So far, they need to wait for the owners spec manual or something to come in June, then he said they need to see if they can even order those seats as accessories.
Of course I am going to have to pay for these and who knows how much they will try to screw me on the price for the seats and installation.
Going to look at the 2006 Mercedes C350 in a month or so to compare, I want the 330i but the sport seat is a deal breaker.
Here is some pretty good pics of Black Sapp/Terra. It kinda looks pumpkin orange in the pic's to me. But id have to see it in person before holding judgement.
DL
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Your idea to swap the seats with Premiums is good...but, like you said, I'm sure it will be expensive. I think they need to soften up the wings on those sport seats so you and I will stop complaining about them. There must be others out there that agree that those seats really stink! I do remember looking at the sport seats when I bought my 2003 330i - but they didn't concern me quite so much then. Nevertheless, I ended up with a non-Sport anyhow..which I still love....enough to not trade now. Maybe BMW will come up with something.
Let me know if/when you figure something out down the road!
jeffhou
iDrive is very cool and IMO simple and quite intuitive :shades: And it lets you customize the car in so may ways, it's incredbile. I can't believe this thing is getting bashed so badly :surprise: It didn't have the Nav DVD, so I couldn't check out the Nav system.
Rear seat room seemed slightly better than E46.
Aux input seems only an audio input, looks like the unit (like iPod) can't be controlled thru' the audio controls on the dash or the wheel
Have to go again and drive the one with SP package. Am planning on waiting till fall, to get the comfort access and to check out the SMG.
Backrest width
You can change the width of the backrest to suit your individual preferences by adjusting the lateral-support pads.
Push switch forward or back.
Backrest width decreases or increases accordingly.
Best Regards,
Shipo
First of all, I was surprised that base audio is not bad at all.
It's almost a same quality as my bose system. Maybe even better
Logic 7, It was a noticable difference, but not much...I mean not for extra $1200....
So, most likely, I'll skip a logic 7...........
And my future purchase of a e90 is a question mark since the touring version I want will be available as a 325 and not a 330
Regarding reliability I am among the lucky ones so far! (fingers crossed)
Thankfully no family constraints at this time.
Best Regards,
Shipo
DL
Would believe I think you and I missed something. After reading a couple of comments, reading the online Owners Manual I found online, I found that this IS INDEED a control that adjusts the sides of the sport seats...something NEW for 2006. I called my salesman who was not aware of this control and when he confirmed that it was on the car, I went to the dealership and tried it out. The control is EXACTLY what is needed.... you can control how tight the sport seat is. When relaxed completely, it is barely any more snug that the premium non-sport seat.. Or, you can tighten it up like a glove so tight that it hurts...which is how the demo and the car ordered was set. So, now I need to reconsider the entire transaction.... I think I'll get the car now!!! No deal breaker with the seat anymore!!
Jeffhou
You solved the mystery....my saleman was not aware until I called him and told him about it. I went back to the dealership today... case closed... the seats are perfect now!!! Thanks! You should get a cut of the commission if I end up buying!
Jeffhou
1. Definitely felt more luxurious inside than my 330i.
2. Ride was softer, little less feedback from the road.
3. Engine was smoother seem a little more refined.
4. Car felt firmer, heavier even though salesman said it was within 50lbs of old 330i.
5. I liked the looks of the car better in person than in pictures. Looks bigger outside but has same cozy, feel in the driver seat especially with sports seats.
Overall I have ambivalent feelings on the new 330i. It seems it has grown up/matured and moved more toward the luxury side of the sport/luxury spectrum. Couldn't shake the feeling I was driving a mercedes.
Just my .02
"Here is some pretty good pics of Black Sapp/Terra. It kinda looks pumpkin orange in the pic's to me. But id have to see it in person before holding judgement."
Hmmm, the color in the pictures looked pretty lame to me. Like you, I'm going to have to reserve judgment until I see them for myself. Thanks for the link!
paule
"Gotta like the last two numbers on the 550 moniker though!"
50, as in five liters, geez, the last car I owned with that size of an engine was my old 1970 Dodge Challenger, which had a 318 (5.2 liter) 3-Speed manual when I bought it in 1977. In 1978, I swapped that engine and tranny for a 340 (5.6 liter) 4-Speed, however, I seriously doubt that even the 340 had the urge of the new 4.8 liter BMW mill. Either way, I'd love to be driving around behind a V8 once again for the first time since the Challenger was stolen in 1982. :-(
jeffhou
"Thanks!"
Any time. ;-)
You should get a cut of the commission if I end up buying!
Hmmm, maybe I should stop being a programmer and become a BWM Sales Associate. Nah, too much like work. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
How does one measure that. You go into Toyota to buy an Avalon but walk out with a Camry. Did the Camry steal a sale?
More likely you walk into Infiniti to buy a G35 and walk out with a 3-series. I think for BMW it's more the ability to attract new customers.
I thought the M3 was spartan compared to the 645. The M3 is typical 3 series, nothing wrong with that. I loved the interior of the 645.
Think of all the money they spent on the 5 - the R&D, advertising and so on - if 100% of the people who buy 5s are just as likely to buy a 3, then you've wasted that money. You could have just supported the 3 and had the same unit sales.
Now that being said, I think the 3 is *extremely* important to BMW's strategy right now and they won't care about cannibalizing the 5.
Why? Because you need to hook younger buyers, and BMW have not been doing a good job of it in the USA. BMW sales are I think second after Acura in this entry-level luxury sedan segment, but their sales to people in their 20s are near the bottom of the list. This is when most people develop brand loyalty, so they have a lot riding on this redesign of the 3.
BUT you can bet that the AWD Touring will be far heavier than the 325i sedan. The extra hp on the 330i would at least provide some compensation for the extra weight of the upcoming e90 touring.
If I wanted a sedan I would definitely choose a 325i. IMHO--The extra bucks for a 330i is quite debatable.
YIKES!!!! I thought brand loyal car buyers were remanants of the distant past.
It scares the hell out of me just thinking that today among us are reincarnated "Buick/Oldsmobile Men" insisting on only buying from one manufacturer. Except today these brand loyal cheerleaders would choose Toyota, Acura , BMW or God-forbid Saaburus.
It's a double edge sword. Don't give the people new models and what they want and they walk to another brand. Introduce a new model and now you have to worry about "cannabilization".
It's a risk of doing business. A buyer that was about to buy a 5 series but walked away with the 3er I guess one can say "cannabilization". A 5 buyer that decided to buy a G35 because the old 3er didn't suit them is a lost customer.
But BMW has to balance that out against the new 3 series sales to *new* BMW buyers that wouldn't have accrued had they not changed the model.
So while marketing types may worry about it, in the long-run they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
Plus you have no real way of measuring it, except by people who might have literally put money on a 5 and then went with the 3, or worse another manufacturer.
Im still in the minority that likes the 5 tho.
Tomorrow I will attempt to do a 1 week review.
DL
I was a brand-loyal BMW driver, starting with our first 67 1600 Alpina which we picked up at the factory. When we moved to a climate with snow, we switched to AWD cars. (Audi and Subaru). With AWD options coming on the 5 and the 3, I am back looking at BMWs again.
I just drove a 330i Sport manual, a 330i auto and an '06 530i auto back to back over the same course. Thankfully, neither of the 330s had active steering or iDrive. First impressions:
I was really impressed with how quiet (wind noise and road roar) the BMWs are. I was appalled by what has happened to BMW steering. It use to be the best in the world.
530i. Amazingly quiet and soft riding. Trunk is HUGE. But the steering was just plain scary. The sticker on this car did not list active steering as an option. But even so, I never felt in complete control. BMW steering used to be spot-on precise. This was way too artificial.
I hated the seats. The car floated on the undulating back roads I drove it on. Handling was very disappointing (mushy). I would never buy this car.
330i auto. Not as quiet as the 530, but still impressive. Lot of rocking and bouncing on the back roads. Handling better than the 530, but not what I expected.
330i Sport, manual. By far the best of the lot. The ride/noise trade-off was less than I expected. Yes, it bounced around even more on the back roads. But handling was far better. And, the manual transmission was delightful. The sport seats (set to a wider setting) were IMHO the best of the three.
I have not tried a 530 Sport yet. I would only be interested if I could find one without active steering. Unless the steering is a lot better than that on non-sport I tried, I would choose the 330i Sport in a heartbeat. However, given the $41,000 as-tested price, I would want to do a head-to-head comparison with an M35 before I spent the money.
Now, the part you guys are not going to like:
As is my practice, I also drove my present car on the same route for a baseline comparison. Since the BMW dealer is in Santa Fe, I was able to drive both of my other cars, both 2005 turbo charged Subarus with upgraded tires: a 2005 Legacy GT Limited (manual) running on 225 summer performance tires, and a 2005 Outback XT (auto) running on Turanza LS-V all season tires.
330i Sport vs. Legacy GT: The Subaru is pretty quiet for an under $30K car, but the BMW is much quieter. BMW engine is creamy smooth, and the 6 speed box is really nice. Logic 7 sound system is a notch better than that on the Subies, but not enough to buy a car for. Properly adjusted, the sport seats might be as comfortable as the Subies, but I would need a lot more hours in them to know for sure. If money were no object, and I were going to drive in fair weather on smooth roads, this is the car I would choose.
However, GT with its big, fat torque curve feels quite a bit quicker in normal driving, and it rides and steers better. More important, on less-than-smooth New Mexico back roads, it just walks away from the Bimmer! Where the 330i bounced and rocked, the Legacy just stayed flat and smooth. And, even in the dry, it always felt more secure. The difference is always there. Sometimes it is pretty significant: a right hand curve over a slight crest of a hill, slippery cattle grate in the middle of the curve just past the crest, down a little, then a left curve. Even though I knew it was coming, it was really dicey in the 330. I never lifted in the Subaru. The more compliant but well-controlled, rally-type suspension and AWD makes for a superb cross-country car. All the electronic nannies are nice, but I think I prefer a beautifully sorted car with predictable, controllable handling.
Even the Outback XT with 8.7 inch of ground clearance had better ride, steering and handling than the 530.
Other notes: the BMWs have wood trim, but the interiors look pretty sad. The Subarus are better looking and significantly better ergonomically.
It is hard for me to know what the 330xi will be like. The specs say that it will be .6 inch taller, and have narrower tires and taller gearing.
I test drive the Outback/.Forester it can't even compare to the old E46. Yes the turbos are sure nice, but the E46 and X3 beat the drive of the Outback/Forester by miles, on smooth road on bumpy roads.
The AWD and smooth engine and differential are nice in the Subies and the cost is $$$$ less, but the Bimmer had the superior ride. I will grant you the fatter tires gave the Subarus an edge over the Bimmer on curves.
How does one measure that. You go into Toyota to buy an Avalon but walk out with a Camry. Did the Camry steal a sale?
More likely you walk into Infiniti to buy a G35 and walk out with a 3-series. I think for BMW it's more the ability to attract new customers.
WRONG. I walked in (10 months+ of waiting) to buy a new 3 Series and walked out with an Ifiniti G35 Coupe 6MT. Now as for the 5 Series, it won't take away sales, 3 Series sales will just increase because its a 3, its gonna sell. As for the 5, thats reserved for ppl who want the size, the "next level" which is where Im going headed after my Coupe!
That's the name of the game my friend. These cars are direct competitors and people can be expected to test drive both and acquire the vehicle suits them best.
Remember that everything is negotiable. I ordered a '99 "new" 3 series in '98 for 10% below sticker. I had an alternate lined up and was ready to walk. I got the deal and have been very happy with the car.
BUT why not wait for a real comparison this fall withthe 330xi. Comparing awd with another awd makes more sense!
I intend to do this. I was hoping that the xi would be a real AWD sports sedan. However, the narrower tires, taller final drive ratio and significantly slower 0-60 times (per the BMWusa site) make me worry that it will turn out to be like the previous generation xi's.
Why not put on wider tires on your XI?, I have a 2002 330XI with 225/45/17 sport summer tires and seperate winter tires so the compromise on the lateral grip and braking is decreased.
Car and Driver recorded a 0 to 60 time for the 330xi of 5.7 seconds and Motor Trend recorded 5.8 seconds for the 330xi. So the 0 to 60 time is at least the same if not faster on the 330xi than the non all wheel drive 330i (I think Car and Driver did 6.2 seconds from 0 to 60 in the 330i). This is because of the better traction of all wheel drive on the launch of the 330xi.
The all wheel drive on the new 330xi coming out this fall is supposed to be far superior to the one in the current model so you should definately try it when it comes out.
I can tell you as a first time potential BMW buyer, I think BMW has real issues with cannibalization of the 5 series because its styling remains an issue and it really does not offer many advantages vs. the 3.
I am considering a 7 series, a 530 and a 330. I know they are totally different but the redesign of the 7 is intriguing in my view. I like the 330 -- I think the front end is attractive and actually think the rear end of the car is not bad. Most of all, I like the performance and handling data I have seen on the 330 as well as the fact that the back seat and trunk are a bit larger. The 5 styling is an issue and it has the same engine as the 330 unless you go to a 545 (which still is not much faster than the 330) and the 5 handles less well. Other than a little more shoulder room, I can't see where the 5 has any advantage. This is a shame because I think the 5 has suffered vs non BMW competitors for some time on performance and space issues. It really could and should be a "bread and butter" car for BMW but they have missed the mark.
However, BMW must be doing something right. Look at the latest sales figures for the 5 series. While I don't dwell on sales figures because they are essentially meaningless unless the context is understood, they seem to indicate people are buying.
So while the 5 might not be your cup of tea, they are somebodys.